Matrimonial Valuation London | RICS Chartered Surveyors
Matrimonial Valuation London
Divorce proceedings require a property valuation that is independent, impartial, and accepted by both parties and the court. Somerset & Sinclair provide RICS Red Book valuations for matrimonial purposes, prepared by a RICS Registered Valuer with no connection to either side.
what is a matrimonial property valuation
What Is a Matrimonial Property Valuation?
A matrimonial valuation is a formal RICS Red Book assessment of a property’s open market value at a specific date, prepared for use in divorce or separation proceedings. It is used by solicitors, the family court, and the parties themselves to establish an agreed or court-determined value of shared property as part of the financial settlement.
It is not an estate agent’s opinion. It is a regulated, evidence-based report signed by a RICS Registered Valuer who is professionally accountable for the figure. It is admissible in court, accepted by both parties’ solicitors, and can be prepared at the current date or retrospectively where a historic value is required.
HOW WE ARE INSTRUCTED
How We Are Instructed
1.
Joint Instruction
Both parties' solicitors agree to instruct a single independent valuer. The report is prepared for both sides equally and is the format courts typically prefer.
2.
Single Party Instruction
One party or their solicitor instructs us directly. The report meets the same Red Book standard regardless of who instructed it.
3.
Single Joint Expert — CPR Part 35
Where directed by the court, we act as Single Joint Expert. Our opinion of value is independent of both parties and formed entirely without reference to either side's position. All correspondence is handled through legal representatives.
Independent. Chartered. Working for You.
independent of lenders and agents, and experienced across London’s period property stock.
- Fully qualified MRICS surveyors — no junior staff
- Independent — we work for you, not the bank or the agent
- 50+ five-star Google reviews
- All London boroughs and nationwide
Once your report is delivered, your surveyor is available to talk you through it. That’s part of the service.
FRICS & MRICS Surveyors
Full membership, not associate level
Red Book valuation standard
Accepted by HMRC, courts and lenders
Professional indemnity insurance
Professional indemnity insurance on every instruction
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a RICS valuation for my divorce proceedings?
If a property forms part of your financial settlement, yes, and the type of valuation matters significantly. An estate agent’s market appraisal is not acceptable to the court, to the other party’s solicitor, or as the basis for a formal financial settlement. It carries no professional accountability, is not prepared under any regulated methodology, and can be influenced by the agent’s interest in winning instructions. A RICS Red Book valuation is the legally recognised standard for matrimonial proceedings in England and Wales. It is prepared by a RICS Registered Valuer under the RICS Valuation Global Standards, is based on comparable market evidence, and the valuer who signs it is personally and professionally liable for the figure they give. The report can be submitted directly to the court, relied upon by both parties’ solicitors in negotiation, or used as the basis for a consent order without the need for contested proceedings. In cases where the parties cannot agree and the matter proceeds to a financial remedy hearing, the judge will require independent, formally prepared valuation evidence. An estate agent’s opinion will not satisfy that requirement. Instructing a RICS Registered Valuer at the outset of proceedings is not a formality. It is the practical step that allows the financial settlement to move forward on an agreed factual basis.
My spouse and I disagree on what our property is worth. What happens?
Disagreement over property value is one of the most common points of conflict in divorce proceedings, and it is almost always resolvable without contested litigation if it is handled correctly from the outset. The most effective approach is a joint instruction, where both parties’ solicitors agree to appoint a single independent RICS Registered Valuer. Both sides are bound by the same report, which removes the factual dispute over value and allows negotiations to focus on the division of the agreed figure rather than the figure itself. This is the approach courts prefer and the one that tends to produce the fastest, most cost-effective resolution. If a joint instruction cannot be agreed, each party can commission their own valuation from a separate RICS Registered Valuer. Where the two figures are close, they are often used as the basis for a negotiated midpoint. Where they differ materially, the court has discretion to direct the appointment of a Single Joint Expert under CPR Part 35, whose opinion of value is binding on both parties and is determinative in the absence of compelling grounds to challenge it. In practice, the cost and delay of reaching that point is almost always more than the cost of agreeing a joint instruction at the start. If your solicitor has not yet raised this, it is worth asking them to discuss the approach before each side commissions their own report independently.
What is a Single Joint Expert and do you act in that role?
A Single Joint Expert, commonly referred to as an SJE, is an expert witness appointed under CPR Part 35 and the associated Practice Direction to provide an independent opinion that the court relies upon in place of competing expert evidence from each party. In the context of matrimonial property proceedings, this means the SJE provides a single RICS Red Book valuation that both parties and the court accept as the basis for the financial settlement. The appointment can be agreed between the parties’ solicitors or directed by the court where parties cannot agree on a joint instruction or where their separately commissioned valuations differ significantly. As an SJE, the valuer’s duty is to the court, not to either party. Correspondence is received from and addressed to both sets of legal representatives simultaneously, questions are submitted in writing, and the opinion of value is formed entirely independently of the positions either party has taken in negotiations. The SJE’s report carries significant weight in proceedings and is rarely displaced unless there is a clear error of fact or methodology. Somerset & Sinclair act as Single Joint Expert in matrimonial proceedings across London and nationally. If you or your solicitor would like to discuss an SJE appointment, contact us directly.
Can you value the property at a date in the past?
Yes, and this is more common in matrimonial proceedings than many people expect. The relevant valuation date in divorce proceedings is not always the current date. Courts can direct that property is valued at the date of separation, the date of issue of proceedings, or another specific date depending on the circumstances of the case and the arguments advanced by each party’s legal team. Where assets have changed significantly in value between separation and the date of the financial remedy hearing, the choice of valuation date can have a material impact on the settlement figure. A retrospective valuation is prepared by the same methodology as a current valuation, but uses comparable market evidence from the relevant period rather than the present day. This requires access to historic transaction data and knowledge of the market conditions that applied at that time. We prepare retrospective valuations to the same RICS Red Book standard as current valuations, and the report is produced in a format suitable for submission to the court or use in negotiation. If you are uncertain which valuation date applies to your proceedings, that is a question for your solicitor, but once it is confirmed we can prepare the valuation accordingly.
Is the valuation process confidential?
Yes. All matrimonial instructions are handled with complete discretion. We are aware that divorce proceedings are sensitive and that both parties may be under significant personal and financial stress at the time an instruction is placed. When we carry out an inspection, we do so professionally and without involvement in the dispute between the parties. Where both parties are present at the property, we focus on the inspection and do not engage in discussions about the proceedings or either party’s position. Where access is arranged through one party or their solicitor, we work within those arrangements and communicate only through the appropriate channels. The valuation report is provided to the instructing solicitor or directly to the parties as agreed in the letter of engagement. It is not shared with any third party outside the proceedings without explicit authority from the instructing party or their legal representative. We do not retain or disclose client information for any purpose other than the completion of the instruction.
How long does a matrimonial valuation take?
For a standard residential property, the on-site inspection typically takes between 30 minutes and one hour depending on the size, age, and condition of the property. Larger homes, properties with complex features, or those requiring access to multiple units or outbuildings will take longer. The written report is usually delivered within three to five working days of the inspection being completed. If your instruction is time-sensitive because of an upcoming financial remedy hearing, a directions appointment, or a court-imposed deadline, tell us at the point of enquiry and we will confirm whether we can accommodate it. We will always be straightforward about what is achievable rather than commit to a timescale we cannot deliver. In urgent situations it is sometimes possible to expedite the report, though this depends on our current workload and we cannot guarantee it in every case. The earlier you instruct us, the more flexibility we have to work around your timeline.
Can the valuer give evidence in court if the valuation is challenged?
Yes. Where a matrimonial valuation is disputed and the matter proceeds to a hearing, the RICS Registered Valuer who prepared the report can provide expert evidence to the court in written or oral form. Written evidence is typically provided by way of a supplemental report or a response to questions submitted by the other party’s legal representatives under CPR Part 35. Oral evidence is given in person at the hearing, where the valuer may be cross-examined on the methodology, the comparable evidence used, and the opinion of value reached. We have experience providing expert evidence in contested matrimonial proceedings and we prepare all necessary documentation in accordance with the court’s directions and the requirements of CPR Part 35. If it becomes apparent during the course of the instruction that oral evidence may be required, we will discuss this with you and confirm the basis on which we can assist. Our duty as expert witnesses is to the court, not to the party who instructed us, and our evidence reflects that.
Do you carry out matrimonial valuations outside London?
Yes. While we are based in Covent Garden and carry out a significant proportion of our matrimonial valuations across London, we operate nationally and are instructed on properties across England and Wales. If the property in question is located outside London, contact us with the address and we will confirm whether we can assist, the likely timescale for arranging an inspection, and the fee. For properties in areas where we do not have direct local market knowledge, we will tell you upfront and advise whether a local specialist would be more appropriate. We would rather be transparent about the limits of our coverage than prepare a report that does not reflect genuine local expertise.
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